


Lamb by HeartOfGlass

by StrengthThroughWounding



Category: AFI
Genre: Angst, College, High School, M/M, Virginity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:33:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3068054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/StrengthThroughWounding/pseuds/StrengthThroughWounding
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Here we have the penultimate installment! I hope it's to everyone's liking. thanks so much to anyone who's read this far, and to my reviewers! You guys make my world go 'round =)</p></blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Davey’s petite frame looked even smaller than usual, swallowed by the sea of blankets and pillows covering Adam’s unmade queen bed. From across the room, Adam watched him pore over the latest MRR magazine, absorbed in an interview with Jello Biafra. Unable to focus on much of anything, his gaze wandered about the room, trailing from neat stacks of four years worth of collected punk zines, to the navy blue backpack that he’d abandoned at the door. Nothing interested him.  
  
“Why’s your face like that?”  
  
Adam jumped slightly at Davey’s voice, becoming acutely aware of the tension in his facial muscles. He gestured ambiguously at the window.  
  
“It’s fucking bright.”  
  
Davey’s eyes automatically flicked to window, relieving Adam of his scrutinizing stare. Intense yellow rays of light were beating through the glass pane, exposing every spot of dust, every spider’s web.  
  
“Can’t handle the damn sun?” Davey teased, careful to leave a smile playing on his lips.  
  
“Fuck off.”  
Clearly today was not a day for teasing, but failing to take a hint, Davey pressed on. He faked a wince, putting a graceful hand over his heart in mock exasperation.  
  
“Adam! That hurt, man.”  
  
Adam could only clench his jaw and glare, directing his anger through his eyes, which Davey noticed were almost frighteningly clear with the light passing through them.  
  
“You look like Dr. Manhattan.”  
  
“You look like fucking the ghost of Christmas future, but you don’t hear me going on about it, do you?”  
  
Davey tried his best to suppress a laugh, politely refraining from commenting on how the ghost of Christmas future didn’t usually have any face to resemble in the first place. He could only imagine Adam was referring to his affinity for black clothing. Ignoring the jab, his expression softened to one of concern.  
  
“What’s wrong?”  
  
“Nothing’s _wrong_ , you’re just an ass,” he insisted, still sulking on the side of the room opposite Davey.  
  
“Nice try. I may be an ass but I know you better than that. You always read the new MRR issues with me. It is _your_ subscription, after all.” He pointed redundantly at the mailing sticker on the magazine cover.  
  
In his typical manner, Adam shrugged and remained silent. Davey knew better than to give up; this was the game they always played: Davey facilitated a battle between the two sides of Adam Carson, until one gave in.  
  
The silence, the glares, this was the part of Adam that desperately wanted to be cool, to be dignified. This was the part that hated emotions, and loved the weight room. This was why no one knew that Adam was gay.  
  
“Is this…” Davey paused to make sure he was choosing his words carefully. “about Jade?” Sure it might seem like there’s only one way to ask a question as simple as that, but if you knew Adam, you knew better. Simply replacing “about” with “because of” could’ve shut him down for the day.  
  
Slowly but surely, Davey watched as Adam’s better half kicked in. He didn’t unfold his arms, but the anger in his expression ebbed away, revealing a look that could only be described as downright pleading. Pleading for consolation, for sympathy. For Davey’s questions to continue, for him to pry until every corner of his conscience was exposed. Davey knew that look well.  
  
“Did something happen at-”  
  
“I haven’t heard from him in like, at least four days.”  
  
This is where things got tough. It was clear that Adam was being melodramatic, but in most circumstances Davey would have no problem assuring him that everything he was feeling was totally valid, and that eventually all that was wrong would right itself. But this wasn’t most circumstances; this was about Jade, whom Adam had been secretly lusting after since they became friends last winter. Jade had since become Adam’s _other_ best friend. He’d been the reason Adam was so hard to see last summer. Davey was ecstatic when he finally went away to college, and relished being Adam’s number one again, if only by default.  
  
“I’m sure school is keeping him pretty busy, you know… college will do that.”  
  
More or less ignoring Davey’s less than genuine attempt at comfort, Adam frowned.  
  
“What if he’s met someone? An insanely cool college guy.”  
  
It was hard for Davey to comprehend just how a big a concern this was for Adam. Aside from Davey, Jade was the only person who knew Adam was gay. Furthermore, Jade himself was gay, and by virtue of these two facts, he was Adam’s only real chance at a boyfriend, or any of the romantic experiences he felt he was entitled to, being a teenager at all.  
  
It didn’t help that on top of that, Jade was dead fucking sexy, and Adam was forever cursed with a mental image of him dripping wet in spandex swim shorts. Goddamn swim team. Not that Jade swam much at all anyway- he’d been forced into it by his parents as a last ditch effort to pad his resume. In result, he spent a lot of time sticking his finger down his throat and insisting he was too sick to practice, or to compete.  
  
Yes, Jade was _that_ weird. For obvious reasons, he was quickly alienated by most of the team, though he may not have noticed. Adam, however, was captivated. Outcast number one introduced himself to outcast number two, and the rest was history.  
  
Davey knew the story well. He was on the receiving end of a very excited phone call every time Jade and Adam’s friendship made the slightest progression. At first it was easy to play the equally excited, supportive friend. Jade was just a crush, he assumed. A senior who’d be graduating and leaving soon anyway, and who Adam would maybe have his first kiss with.  
  
He couldn’t have been more wrong. Adam woefully remained a tonsil hockey virgin, but gained his first gay friend, something Davey could simply never be for him, no matter how hard he tried.  
  
“I’m sure he’s met plenty of people, but it’s not like any of them could even come close to being as cool as you.”  
  
It was so cringe-inducing and cheesy, but what else was he supposed to say? He could tell Adam that Jade certainly hadn’t met anyone, but that’d be stupid and improbable. He didn’t know Jade well enough to suggest that he wasn’t the type of guy who’d be hooking up with people only a couple months in. For all Davey knew, that was exactly what he was doing, right this moment.  
  
Regardless, Adam scoffed.  
  
“I’m sixteen, he’s already in college! I’m not stupid Dave, I know he has better options.”  
  
“Sure Adam, fine.”  
  
Adam stilled, looking both mildly pleased and gravely, _gravely_ troubled.  
  
“But I’ll bet you ten dollars you’ll hear from him by Wednesday.”  
  
“Ten dollars?”  
  
Davey nodded solemnly, but was unable to censor a final thought.  
  
“If you don’t rip your heart out by then, that is.”  
  
A book flew across the room, missing Davey’s entire body by a good foot or two. Laughing, he rolled off the bed to retrieve it.  
  
“Nice throw, Martinez.”  
  
Adam glowered, looking both disturbed and confused at Davey’s baseball reference. Silence was the only way he felt comfortable reacting in the bulk of situations he found himself in, especially when such a motherfucker like Davey was involved. Sure, he was his best friend and all, but that didn’t meant he wasn’t a damn piece of work.  
  
From behind the bed, Davey surfaced, waving a thick paperback novel.  
  
“A Tale of Two Cities wasn’t _that_ bad was it?”  
  
“It was, but you’re a hell of a lot worse sometimes.”  
  
***  
  
Adam appeared by Davey’s locker late Wednesday morning, looking brooding as usual. Davey took a minute to remark to himself that for such a normal guy, Adam was able to conjure an awful dark ambiance when he wanted. Often, his sullen mood impressively overshadowed his nice-guy button down shirts and inoffensive blue jeans.  
  
“Feeling like little miss sunshine today, are we?”  
  
“You can buy your own MRR subscription now,” Adam grumbled, presenting a crumpled pair of five dollar bills to Davey. The flimsy green paper had obviously spent the walk to school clenched mercilessly in Adam’s fists.  
  
Davey gleefully took the money, stuffing it into his pocket before slamming his locker shut. Taking another look at his glum friend, he raised his eyebrows.  
  
“Alright, I’ll bite. Why aren’t you happier that Jade finally called?”  
  
After ten seconds of silence, a small grin appeared on Adam’s face.  
  
“So maybe I am… I just fucking hate losing to you, you know.”  
  
Davey responded with a loud “HA!” and a backhanded slap to Adam’s side. “You’re such a moody little bitch, you know that?”  
  
Adam offered nothing more than a shrug, still grinning slightly as he began to turn into a classroom.  
  
“You wish!” Davey grabbed him by his backpack, only succeeding in pulling him away because he caught him off guard. Normally Adam’s size alone would’ve allowed him to resist Davey’s efforts. Instead, he stumbled back, turning around and staring angrily at the smaller man.  
  
“Why? Why are you like this!?”  
  
“You’ve got to tell me what he said, _obviously_. Anyways you’re just missing math, who cares?”  
  
“I like math…”  
  
“You do not.”  
  
“It’s the only subject I’m good at!”  
  
Davey nodded thoughtfully, in honest agreement.  
  
“You can do some later. In fact, to make this up to you, you can do my math homework as well as your own, sound good? But right now- here, sit- right now, you’re going to tell me what Jade said, because that grin wasn’t for nothing.”  
  
Adam obediently sat on the cement bench to which Davey had led him, ignoring the rough scrape of the rock on the back of his knees. It was cold outside- as cold as California gets, at least- and the slight breeze was raising goose bumps on his skin. Standing in front of Adam, Davey was staring down his nose impatiently, waiting for him to cave.  
  
“He just… you know. Stuff. And maybe… he asked me to come visit Friday.”  
  
Davey smirked, and an impish glint in his eyes told Adam that his wheels were turning.  
  
“By visit you mean… stay over… because Berkley’s a good two hours away!”  
  
“Oh shut up, I’ve spent the night with him before.”  
  
“Not since you told him…!” He left the words hanging in the air, exasperation punctuating his abrupt silence. Adam shook his head.  
  
“That I’m gay? You know it doesn’t really matter, it’s not like he, you know… Remember how he reacted? I don’t think he really cared.”  
  
 _“So you’re not going to fuck Kristen?”_  
  
Adam tore his eyes away from the square basin of choppy water just as the 50 free was won by a swimmer from a competing school.  
  
“What? No.”  
  
“If you had swum that race, you would’ve won.”  
  
“Too bad I had spoiled meat for lunch. With you.” He nudged Jade in the side, and they exchanged knowing glances. “Remember?”  
  
“Sure. You know, I don’t even eat meat.”  
  
“I know.”  
  
Jade looked up at the scoreboard like he gave a shit, but Adam knew better. Adam knew Jade, brilliant Jade, must’ve noticed the coach heading over. He turned his head accordingly, to the large green numbers that once meant everything to him, and didn’t flinch until the coach was out of sight.  
  
“Why’d you ask about Kristen?”  
  
“It’s just fucking weird you know. Most guys would kill to have such a goddamn vixen all over them.”  
  
“You wouldn’t.” He said it immediately, because he couldn’t help it, and because it was the loudest thought in his mind, jumping out of his mouth in bright red, capital letters.  
  
“Don’t be stupid, I like men.” Jade never said he was gay. He never said he was queer, or that he liked boys; he always said that he liked men _. This was one of the many reasons why Adam was sure he’d never have any sort of a shot with him. Barely sixteen, he still felt painfully like a boy, or at best, maybe a guy. But a man? Hardly._  
  
“Yeah… exactly.” The implication of Adam’s quiet words was understood by Jade immediately. Somewhat aware of this, Adam turned his attention to the pool to avoid seeing the realization register on Jade’s face. It was likely his usual disaffected expression wouldn’t change a bit, but Adam wasn’t interested in taking any chances.  
  
“So you don’t want to bed Kristen… because you’re gay.” If he was surprised at all, he was hiding it well. He stated it the same way one might think aloud while working out a math problem.  
  
“Yep.”  
  
“That’ll do it.”  
  
“No, I’m sure he cared! He probably just wasn’t… you know, very surprised?”  
  
Adam rolled his eyes. “Yeah good point Dave, I’m so incredibly flamboyant, I don’t know how he didn’t guess it sooner.”  
  
Davey looked his friend up and down and shrugged nonchalantly. “He would’ve if he’d known what a little bitch you are.”  
  
Half the time, Adam loved Davey for the smart-ass remarks he just couldn’t help but make, especially when they weren’t aimed at him. The other half the time, Adam ended up just barely keeping himself from giving Davey a good smack across the face. Which maybe was a little gay. He huffed, and settled for giving him a swift kick in the shin, which worked out fairly well for their position, Davey standing and all.  
  
“You see? You’re so moody,” Davey said, wincing as he bent over to rub the pain out of his leg. He peered up at Adam through his thick lock of brown hair to assess his emotional state.  
  
“I’m not, really,” Adam insisted, trying his best to act unbothered.  
  
“You are.” Davey paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. “And yes, I’ll give you a ride to Berkley this weekend.”  
  
A rare smile broke out on Adam’s face, exposing impressive white teeth and all. Genuine gratitude was written on his features. Davey knew him so ridiculously well it was almost embarrassing.  
  
“You’re going to owe me about a lifetime’s worth of MRR issues, though.”  
  
---


	2. Lamb by HeartOfGlass

Friday was covered in heavy grey skies, threatening to break open and spill chilly November rain at any moment. It was one of those days where, instead of having a sunset, everything seemed to slowly get dimmer, until the sky was a murky black.   
  
Adam and Davey were perched on the window seat in Adam’s bedroom, a piece of architecture which Adam was teased endlessly about. It didn’t matter that it was his parent’s idea to put the bay window in his room, Davey still found it hilarious. Today, however, it was proving quite useful, allowing the two boys to watch out the window that overlooked the Carson’s driveway, so that they’d know the exact moment when Adam’s parents had left the house.  
  
Sure, they could’ve hung around in the kitchen and found out just as easily, but there was simply no adventure in that.  
  
When they finally saw the forest green Acura backing out into the street, Adam leapt up, knocking a stack of records onto the floor.  
  
“Christ, try and contain yourself!” Davey said, laughing as he followed suit, albeit much more gracefully.  
  
But Adam didn’t hear him; he’d already bolted downstairs, and was fumbling around the kitchen in search of the keys for his family’s second car.  
  
“Can’t stand to keep it in your pants for much longer?”  
  
Adam scowled, tossing the keys Davey’s way. “I don’t want to get there at fucking midnight, that would be pointless.”  
  
Davey caught the keys without problem, gleefully trotting to the door. Despite the fact that he had no particular interest in their destination, there was nothing he loved more than breaking a good law or two, just as he was about to do. He flung the door open, filling his lungs with the crisp evening air. The maroon Honda Ascot sat parked in the driveway looking crummy as ever. Davey approached it as though it was a golden chariot.  
  
“Now look who can’t keep it in his pants,” Adam called, leaving the house yards behind Davey. “It’s a damn car you weirdo.”  
  
Davey paid no attention, already having seated himself in front of the wheel.  
  
“I am _so_ glad you failed your driver’s test,” Davey gushed, shoving the key tactlessly into the ignition as Adam gingerly sat himself in the passenger seat, taking care to buckle in.  
  
“Well I’m not. Just be careful, okay? If we get caught…” It was no use explaining the consequences; they were both fully aware of them. Ever since Adam’s uncle handed the car down to him in February, on his sixteenth birthday, Davey had been the only one to drive it. Neither Adam’s parents nor Davey’s parents knew this, as Davey had yet to turn sixteen, let alone pass a driving test.  
  
“Adam seriously, careful is my maiden name.”  
  
Adam gave Davey an amused, yet mildly horrified look as he sped backwards into the street.  
  
“You mean middle name?”  
  
“Nope!”  
  
***  
Over two somewhat frightening hours later, Adam was happy to feel car slow to a stop in UC Berkeley’s visitor loop. Davey had completely let loose on the highway, slowing to a reasonable speed only when the rain had started. For a moment, just the rhythmic clicking of the windshield wipers could be heard as Adam nervously surveyed the campus before him. As excited as he was to see Jade for the first time in two months, he was deeply afraid of the changes his “new life” may have brought. He badly wanted nothing to be different; he wanted to be in Jade’s bedroom again, listening to records and drinking ginger beer.  
  
“Adam? Man, don’t cry or anything, I wasn’t _really_ going to hit that lady at the cross walk!”  
  
“What? Oh… yeah I know. Speaking of that, you’d better not fuck up this car.”  
  
“Aw Adam, come on!” He gave Adam his best rendition of an angel face, widening his eyes and smiling sweetly to display his innocence. “I’m the most responsible person you know!”  
  
“Sure Dave. Just don’t give anyone my name if you get in trouble.”  
  
“No problem-o.”  
  
Adam finally unbuckled his seat belt, taking a deep breath. He could feel a prickling knot in his chest when he put his hand on the door handle. Stalling, he turned to Davey again.  
  
“You sure you have somewhere to be tonight?”  
  
“Yup.” Davey had been unusually mysterious about how he’d be spending his time between now and when he’d pick Adam up in the morning. This was troubling, but Adam was fairly sure it’d be better if he didn’t know his plans.  
  
“Alright… thanks for the ride, man.”  
  
“No problem. See you tomorrow!”  
  
Adam nodded slowly, pushing the car door open. “See you.”  
  
He stood at the curb for the twenty seconds it took to watch Davey and the car disappear, long enough for the rain to fleck his green shirt with darker green spots. A gentle gust of wind was enough to make him wish he’d brought a jacket, but hopefully he wouldn’t be standing around outside for too long anyway.  
  
The clock tower. Jade had told him to meet him at the clock tower. Assuming such a tower would be tall, Adam craned his neck upwards and scanned the buildings before him, looking for anything that resembled a clock. It didn’t take long- the thin white structure vaguely resembled the Washington monument, and was by far the largest building in sight.  
  
Ten minutes later Adam was leaning against the tower, the back of his shirt sticking to the wet concrete. More than once, he entertained the thought that maybe Jade had forgotten he was coming, or was simply too wrapped up in whatever was he was doing to feel compelled to disengage. Adam was a fan of preparing himself for the worst, a habit Davey often criticized. He could hear his friend’s voice in his head, telling him to calm the fuck down, because if he stays this anxious and insecure, he won’t have any friends to worry about in the first place. While Adam mostly knew Davey was right, he still constantly questioned whether or not his friendship with Jade was too good to be true.  
  
“Adam!”  
  
Adam blinked dumbly, squinting through the rain on his eyelashes. Sure enough, Jade was striding toward him, his dark figure becoming clearer as he neared. Unlike Adam, he was carrying an umbrella, shielding his sloppily coiffed hair from the rain.  
  
“Jade, hey.”  
  
“Way to give a nice ‘fuck you’ to the weather,” Jade said with a small smile, noting Adam’s lack of protection from the rain. Adam wondered if he looked as much like a drowned rat as he felt. He wanted to say something clever back really badly, but was having a hard time looking for words _and_ dealing with seeing Jade for the first time since August; he’d been so busy preparing himself for some sort of letdown that he’d forgotten to prepare himself for being in the presence of someone he considered to be the most attractive human being on earth.  
  
But more than just attractive, Jade’s presence had an undeniably seductive quality; the way he moved his hips when he shifted weight from one foot to the other, the way his long slender fingers wrapped around the umbrella handle, even his voice, floating somewhere between baritone and tenor. It was these little details that made him irresistible to Adam.  
  
“Yeah… well it was a lot sunnier in Ukiah,” Adam lied.  
  
Jade smiled knowingly, olive eyes twinkling. “Sure. Get under the umbrella; my building’s only a couple minutes away, but it looks like you’re about as wet as you need to be.”  
  
Adam reluctantly moved closer to Jade, until most of his body was shielded from the rain. Already, the thin black fabric of Jade’s body-hugging turtle neck was calling to him, just waiting to be touched. He settled for letting his forearm brush against it as they began walking.  
  
“Did Davey drive you down?” His voice was so much more erotic in person than on the phone.  
  
“Yup. And now he’s off to god-knows-where with my car…”  
  
“Calm down, it’s not like you’re going to be driving it anytime soon, or ever.”  
  
Adam absorbed the jab silently, because it was true, and because it was Jade.  
  
“Which building’s yours?” Adam asked, trying to avoid a lapse into uncomfortable silence. Finding the flawless cadence they’d perfected months ago was none too easy; gone were the days when neither of them missed a beat, when the back and forth, the give and take of conversation, was uninterrupted. Adam figured this was normal considering they hadn’t seen each other in the flesh in a couple of months, but he still hoped that maybe Jade didn’t notice.  
  
“It’s right there.” He pointed to a building directly in front of them, white stone stained grey, exactly like all the others.  
  
“Your roommate… Tony? Is he around tonight?” Jade had mentioned Tony a couple of times on the phone; apparently he was a brilliant engineering student, absolutely out of his mind, with choice taste in music. Adam always thought he sounded like something of a character, and was a bit curious to meet him.  
  
Jade smiled slyly as they neared the door. “Let’s hope not,” he said, failing to look back at Adam while he slid his student ID through a scanner. The lock clicked, and a small light flashed green, telling Jade he was free to push through.  
  
“What?”  
  
“I think most everyone’s in the lounge right now, probably pre-gaming before they go out tonight.” It was more of a general comment than an answer to Adam’s question, but he let it go.  
  
Jade held the door open with his back, thrusting the umbrella at Adam. “Close this.”  
  
Adam gingerly collapsed the umbrella, taking care to not let any water droplets shake onto himself, or more importantly, onto Jade.  
  
“Drop it here,” he instructed as they stepped into a mud room. The white linoleum floor was slick with water, dirt, and whatever else had been traipsed in by students. “I don’t want that nasty thing in my room, it’s fucking soaked.  
  
Adam frowned, running his fingertips over the front of shirt. “I’m fucking soaked, too.”  
  
Jade stopped, already partway down the hall, and turned around to assess Adam’s state of dampness.  
  
“True… the bathroom’s just at the end of the hall, on the left. You can strip down in there, I’ll bring you some clothes.”  
  
“You sure you don’t mind? You might not get the clothes back ‘till Christmas….”  
  
“Nah, it’s fine. You owe me though.” He was at least half joking.  
  
Adam nodded. “Sure thing.” Why did he always end up owing everyone? He’d have to add Jade to his list, right below Davey, and well above his parents.  
  
The bathroom was a lightbox, florescent light reflecting off stark white tiles, white walls, and a long white counter. Adam squinted while his eyes adjusted, irises contracting to accommodate this influx of brightness. He much preferred the dim hallway.  
  
At the far end of the room was what appeared to be three shower stalls carved into the wall, sealed only with flimsy plastic curtains. The entire length of the wall facing the showers and the toilets was mirrored. Adam watched himself as he made his way to the stall furthest from the door. His hair looked black, stringy and curled more than usual thanks to the rain. Water was beading around his nose and forehead, adding unsightly texture to his clammy skin. Similarly, his shirt was drenched, clinging to his body uncomfortably. How could Jade not think he was the biggest fucking mess on earth?  
  
Behind the curtain there was a bench for changing, and a second curtain which enclosed the shower itself. Everything was still absolutely white; what a strange color scheme for such a dirty place. Adam got to the buttons on his shirt immediately, more than used to undressing in public places. Plus, he badly wanted to relieve himself of the fabric, sopping wet and completely freezing. Unsurprisingly, his skin beneath was slick and ice cold.  
  
“It’s me!” Jade’s voiced announced, echoing in the otherwise eerily silent bathroom.  
  
“Last stall.”  
  
Jade flung the curtain open, and suddenly the both of them felt a comforting familiarity; this was not a new situation. Jade hadn’t thought much of swimming since the season ended, but standing fully clothed and dry in front of a wet, half naked Adam, he couldn’t help but be reminded of many a skipped practice.  
  
“Here. Don’t know if these will fit over your _absolutely massive_ muscles.” Jade tossed the clothes at Adam with a smirk. His first sarcastic remark of the evening made Adam’s heart soar- they were getting back into the swing of things.  
  
He pulled the shirt over his head, not bothering to look at what it was. No doubt one of Jade’s somewhat oversized concert tees.  
  
“Oh god Adam, I didn’t know you liked Journey!” Jade exclaimed, feigning shock.  
  
“Ha, ha, fucking ha. I could say the same to you, it’s your damn shirt.”  
  
Jade shrugged. “Not anymore.”  
  
With a renewed sense of caution, Adam examined the pants before even thinking about taking off his own.  
  
“Wait… these look familiar.”  
  
“Yep, they’re yours,” Jade confirmed, offering no explanation.  
  
“Not to pry or anything, Jade, but why do you have my pants?”  
  
“You left them at my house a while ago. I figured you’d be visiting me here-”  
  
“And you figured I’d somehow be lacking pants?”  
  
Jade looked slightly flustered for a second, but quickly regained his footing.  
  
“If you’d prefer I can get you a pair of my pants. You like hip-huggers, right?”  
  
Adam made a face and set the jeans down on the bench, starting at his fly. In his peripheral vision, he could see Jade leaning against the counter, arms folded. What he couldn’t see were Jade’s eyes, glued to him, studying his every move. With a bit of difficulty, he slipped his pants off his hips, taking a moment to fold them. From across the way, Jade noted his boxers, black and all too baggy. They hit his legs inches above where his tan began, exposing the pale skin his shorts had hidden all summer. Despite the thick black mop on his head, Adam had very little body hair. He liked to claim that this from years of shaving himself for swimming, but Davey had many times assured him it was probably due to him being such a “whiny bitch.”  
  
As soon as Adam had the new jeans properly buttoned, Jade turned away and busied himself fixing his hair in the mirror.  
  
“You and your fucking hair,” Adam muttered, failing to suppress a small smile as he stood up. Jade barely flinched, and certainly didn’t back away from the mirror. He watched Adam’s reflection walk towards the door.  
  
“Coming?”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, wait up.”  
  
Adam obediently stopped at the door, watching Jade approach. Even in the harsh light of the bathroom, with virtually every imperfection illuminated, he looked damn hot, and no less mysterious than usual. He had a brilliant poker face, walking over to Adam completely expressionless until he faced him head on.  
  
Adam gave him a confused look, eyes shifting to the door. “Aren’t we… going?”  
  
He detected the faintest hint of mischief on Jades features, but not quickly enough to make any predictions. Jade braced his hand on the wall against which Adam was reclining, and leant in.  
  
Their lips met for a second at most; it was nowhere near long enough for Adam to try and interpret what was happening. All that had registered was the simple fact that Jade’s lips were as soft as they looked, though the skin around them was rough with the sort of stubble that can only be felt, and not seen.  
  
Adam tried to pretend that his heart rate hadn’t just shot through the roof, hoping his face wasn’t nearly as red as it felt.  
  
“What was… why did, uh…” He’d clearly overestimated his current ability to use words. Suddenly he realized Jade was looking him dead in the eye. Though he was sure he’d done this a thousand times before, it was currently making him both uncomfortable, and unbearably horny. Jade’s confidence was the root of his allure, of all that made him sexy, and it was epitomized in that stare. Adam held his breath and waited for his brain to turn to soup.  
  
“I wanted to. That’s okay, right? I mean, tell me if I’m wrong but-”  
  
“Notwrong,” Adam blurted as soon as he found the words.  
  
“What?”  
  
“You’re…not wrong.”  
  
“Didn’t think so. D’you want to meet my hall-mates now?”  
  
If Adam had been confused before, it was nothing compared to what he feeling now. In the few words he’d spoken, had he said something wrong? It didn’t seem so, Jade was smiling his usual puckish smile. Trying his best to put his racing thoughts on hold, he responded, speaking slowly so as not to jumble his words. He felt he was at particular risk for that right now.  
  
“Yeah, why not... Uh, what should I do with my clothes though?”  
  
“That depends. Are you particularly attached to them?”  
  
“Yes!”  
  
“Fine. You can put them in my room, I suppose. Just don’t let them get anything else wet.”  
  
With that, he pushed open the door and headed into the hall, Adam following speechlessly. On their way to the lounge, Jade opened his room briefly so that Adam could dump his clothes. Much to Adam’s dismay, he didn’t get a very good look at the room itself; he supposed that would have to wait for later.  
  
---


	3. Lamb by HeartOfGlass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we have the penultimate installment! I hope it's to everyone's liking. thanks so much to anyone who's read this far, and to my reviewers! You guys make my world go 'round =)

Lucky for Adam, the introduction session was more or less concise; everyone was on their way out to the frats. Adam smiled awkwardly as Jade threw about twelve names his way, wondering what sort of judgments they were making based on the fact that he was wearing a Journey shirt. Jade exchanged an extra few words with Tony, leaving Adam to stand in uncomfortable silence and nervously survey the people he’d just “met.” He found himself mentally asking the same sort of questions about each of the guys: does Jade think he’s attractive? Does Jade want to hook up with him? He knew his jealousy and paranoia were pathetic, but they weren’t entirely unfounded. Jade was single, and finally out of relentlessly homophobic Ukiah…  
  
But Jade had also just kissed him, no more than fifteen minutes ago. Adam tried not to get his hopes up, but it was difficult.  
  
“Adam? Let’s go, I want to show you my room.”  
  
“Yeah, sure.”  
  
He trailed behind Jade, having already forgotten which room was his. Every door looked the same: dingy white metal with a tiny peephole and a silver handle. Sure there were also numbers on each, but they meant nothing to Adam.  
  
At 256 Jade stopped. While he fumbled for his key, Adam timidly snuck a couple of glances at his butt. It had been tempting him for some time now, and he’d finally allowed himself to give in. Jade’s black jeans left little to the imagination, stretched taught over his curves, shamelessly displaying everything but the skin itself.  
  
“And we’re in.” Jade opened the door to reveal a relatively small, dimly lit room. Immediately Adam could tell which half of the room was his. The bedspread was predictably black, just like it was in Jade’s room at home. Rather than band posters, the wall had strange pieces of art and photographs Jade had found at various thrift stores. His textbooks were hidden under a stack of tattered paperbacks, all of which Adam had seen before.  
  
“Gee I can’t imagine which side is yours.”  
  
Jade’s eyes flicked to Tony’s bed, which was covered in a multi-color striped comforter, looking like an awful 70s throwback.  
  
“I like what I like. Plus it makes picking shit out dead simple.” He sat on the bed, leaning back slightly and running his hand fondly over the black blanket. In light of recent events, being alone with Jade was suddenly making Adam anxious. He was unsure of what to do, whether he should be acting differently, or pretending nothing happened.  
  
“It’s very you, that’s for sure.”  
  
Jade nodded, gaze locked on Adam. Every aspect of Jade’s face was stunning, from his saucer eyes to his impossibly lush lips, but Adam’s favorite feature had always been his nose. It was the picture of perfection, sloping where it should, and jutting out just far enough. Conversely, Adam’s own nose was his least favorite feature, perhaps spawning his appreciation for Jade’s.  
  
“You’re staring at my nose.”  
  
“Nope.” Adam’s quick response hardly hid the fact that Jade was right- it’s never hard to notice a person staring a particular part of your face, especially when they’re only a few feet away from you.  
  
“Okay well… you have my permission to stop standing by the door now.”  
  
“Oh, yeah.”  
  
Unfortunately, the few paces it took to reach the bed didn’t give Adam time enough to figure out where he was meant to sit. In a bedroom, there was always plenty of floor space, and anyways Adam’s bed was big enough to seat two people without any real awkwardness (or in this case, sexual tension.) However, the floor in Jade’s dorm was cold linoleum, and the bed was a twin.  
  
“Sit. You don’t have to be so nervous, Adam.”  
  
Hearing his name from Jade’s mouth sent a small jolt through Adam’s body. Had he been that obvious?  
  
“What?” If he only had a dime for every puzzled look he’d given Jade tonight.  
  
“I want to kiss you again. I don’t really want to stop this time.” He said it calmly, as though expressing such a thought was incredibly ordinary. This was really a typical Jade thing to do, to casually put out such a bold statement. Any other human being would’ve kept it in, or merely acted on it. But not Jade, never Jade.  
  
Again, Adam’s pulse was racing, body nearly set alight with hormones and endorphins. Somehow he managed to sit on the bed, a carefully measured foot away from Jade, one leg tucked beneath him.  
  
“You do?”  
  
“Definitely.”  
  
Scores of thoughts ran though Adam’s mind, mostly questions, but before he had the chance to articulate any of them, his mouth was covered by Jade’s.  
  
Those soft lips crushed Adam’s own, which were rougher, and slightly tattered from hours of anxious nibbling. Without hesitation, Jade’s tongue pushed through, confirming that he was indeed the seasoned make-out veteran Adam had expected him to be. He moved the single muscle with practiced dexterity, making subtle swirling motions on the roof of Adam’s mouth.  
  
Adam savored every drop of shared saliva, reveling in the bliss of Jade’s oral adulations. He only hoped he wasn’t too painfully green, wasn’t doing anything horribly wrong; after all, it was only his second kiss ever, the first having occurred earlier in the bathroom.  
  
If Adam was fucking up, Jade didn’t seem to mind at all. He was already eagerly pushing him onto his back, thin legs straddling his waist. The shock of this- Adam had never imagined he’d be this close to Jade, and the reality of it had barely caught up to him. For the first time, Adam wasn’t wishing for life to hurry up, but rather, to slow down. He longed for a pause button, to stop time if only for a moment, to give him a chance to catch his breath.  
  
“Jade- wow… why are you…”  
  
Adam struggled to get the words in through Jade’s aggressive, yet finessed, lapping and sucking. Dragging his teeth over Adam’s lower lip, Jade pulled back. He didn’t sit up, but rather hovered an uncomfortable few inches from Adam’s face.  
  
“It’s not like I never noticed the way you looked at me. I didn’t really see you the same way, not until today at least. I suppose something changed in these past couple of months…”  
  
There was something disconcerting about the way Jade’s words came out, dictated perfectly, sans hesitation. It was almost as though he was reciting well rehearsed lines.  
  
“No kidding…” Adam muttered, eyes nervously roaming over Jade’s incredibly close face. Inches away, he was still flawless, the perfect proportions of his features standing out more than ever. Adam shuddered to think what _he_ looked like from this angle. He could feel that he’d already broken an ugly sweat, as if his mildly blemished skin didn’t look bad enough on its own. Fuck being a teenager, right? Of course, Jade’s skin was absolutely perfect, and moisture free. He looked unperturbed as ever.  
  
“So…” Jade slowly slipped his hand under Adam’s shirt. “Can I keep going?”  
  
“What?” There it was again, that vague, unanswerable question that just kept popping up. “Sorry, I mean, yes. Please.” Still, he wasn’t entirely sure what exactly what Jade meant.  
  
Instantly Jade’s hand moved upwards, sweeping over Adam’s stomach, caressing his pectorals. His other hand followed close behind, mirroring the path and sending a pleasant shiver down Adam’s spine. Instinctively, he closed his eyes, eager to focus completely on the heavenly sensation of Jade’s fingers exploring his skin.  
  
The way he touched Adam spoke volumes; there was no doubting the hunger that was woven into every move he made. He rushed to cover every inch of skin he could reach, moving up and down Adam’s torso, then back again. Beneath, Adam hardly moved, fearful that if he did, he’d find himself wantonly grinding his crotch against Jade’s, and there was just no way that would be appropriate. Still, his cock was so stiff with want, it took all of his self control not to dry hump his way to climax.  
  
Suddenly, Adam felt Jade sitting up. His eyes snapped open to the sight of Jade halfway through removing his shirt, revealing inch after inch of slightly tan, freckled skin. The bare torso was not at all an unfamiliar sight; Adam had spent many a practice ogling every speck of skin Jade had bared, certain that only in his wildest dreams would he be afforded the pleasure of seeing it outside the locker room.  
  
Yet here he was, half naked Jade now tugging at the hem of _his_ shirt. In disbelief, Adam watched as Jade began to pull it over his head in one swift, though hardly subtle, motion. Immediately, he felt self conscious; swim season had barely started and in his off time, he’d let himself get terribly out of shape.  
  
But Jade didn’t notice the 3.5 pounds of muscle that had been lost, or the faint decrease in tone; he saw what he’d always seen, but never noticed- Adam was sexy as hell, and he’d somehow spent an entire year overlooking this. Every dip and curve, from his shoulders to his abdomen, was perfectly chiseled, giving him a body that could only be compared to the idealized Greek statues on the cover of nearly every philosophy book Jade owned. He stared hard at Adam for almost a minute, trying to figure out why a body that once seen so ordinary was now setting alight his every desire. Each second he remained motionless, Adam grew more anxious.  
  
“…Jade?”  
  
“Yeah, sorry… you’re just incredibly hot,” Jade explained, forgoing his usual expertly chosen words for the only phrase he felt really fit Adam, and that didn’t include tacky, gratuitous flattery.  
  
Adam tried not to gape like an idiot, surprised that prideful, aloof Jade would utter such a comment. Unsure of whether to return the gesture, thank him, or ignore it, he said nothing.  
  
Without warning, Jade swung a leg over Adam’s waist, relieving Adam of his weight. To Adam’s horror and confusion, he hopped off the bed. Before he could ask what was going on, Jade’s actions made things quite clear- his fingers were moving quickly to unbutton his pants. Without hesitation, he ripped them off, revealing a pair of his usual black briefs, which stayed put for a very, very short amount of time.  
  
Stark naked, Jade climbed back onto the bed with an unreadable smile. He sat at Adam’s feet, looking at him expectantly.  
  
“Aren’t you going to….? Or do you want me….”  
  
Adam managed to sit upright, doing his best not to show his panic. Did Jade really want to… have sex? He wasn’t expecting this, but maybe he should have been. At sixteen, Adam thought about sex a lot, especially in relation to Jade, but until today he’d never been kissed, let alone considered he’d be losing his virginity any time soon. True, there was no one he’d like more to be sitting on the end of the bed than Jade, but still he felt ambivalent.  
  
“Oh, no, sorry, I um… I can do it.” Slowly he began to unzip and remove the pants he’d put on only a short while ago. It was easy to ignore his own apprehension when a much more troubling thought was lurking in his mind: if he didn’t do this with Jade, someone else would. That was something he was certain he did not want to happen.  
  
Soon enough, the rest of his clothing joined Jade’s in a heap on the floor, green shirt and blue jeans swimming with Jade’s black attire. He had to resist the urge to cover his exposed body up, specifically his raging hard on. He’d never been entirely nude in front of anyone for more than a second, and it felt completely unnatural. Jade took Adam’s hand and pulled him onto the bed, noting his discomfort.  
  
“Relax, Adam, it’s just me.”  
  
Adam swallowed hard and nodded, allowing Jade to push him onto his back once again. He watched as Jade opened a desk drawer and pulled out what Adam imagined to be some sort of lube. So, he was right. Jade really did want to fuck. This answer brought on a slew of more questions: was he supposed to top, or bottom? Should he say something about that? Was someone going to use a condom, or was there no point to that? Far too embarrassed to ask, he watched Jade carefully, hoping to discern some answers from his movements.  
  
Answering his first question, Jade slathered something viscose onto Adam’s erection, working it up and down until it was fully coated. The few moments during which he did this were likely the best of Adam’s life. Never had he felt something so divine, so undeniably gratifying, as Jade’s hand on his dick. He’d always imagined having someone else jack you off wouldn’t feel too different from doing it yourself. After all, a hand’s a hand, right? But somehow it was totally different, entirely more stimulating. While it lasted, he completely forgot how nervous he’d been, only able to focus on the blissful sensation.  
  
But when Jade stopped, the anxiety returned. He had no idea what he was doing. Was he going to make Jade feel good? Was Jade going to make _him_ feel good? Most of all, he hoped the pit in his stomach would go away once they started.  
  
Jade straddled Adam once again, sitting so that Adam’s slick cock was aligned with the crack of his buttocks.  
  
“It’s going to be okay,” Jade cooed, but Adam could barely hear him over the sound of his heart, slamming against the inside of his chest.  
  
Jade wrapped his fingers around Adam’s shaft, positioning it at his entrance. Slowly, tantalizingly, he slipped inch after inch in, until Adam was completely buried inside his asshole. He hissed, adjusting to the ecstasy of being filled so completely.  
  
Beneath him, Adam had never felt anything so amazingly warm and tight in his life. It was as if he’d been designed perfectly to fit inside of Jade, the lubrication giving them the only assistance they needed. The sensation was almost too good to be true. In fact, as Jade began to ride Adam, rocking his hips back and forth in eager thrusts, something felt terribly wrong.  
  
Adam may have been a virgin, but he wasn’t stupid; having explored his own prostate a bit, he knew just how difficult it was to get a single finger in there the first couple of times. Currently, he was just barely able to use two, and he definitely had to work up to it. Jade somehow had needed no working up, no preparation. Adam felt positively ill as he realized this could only mean one thing: Jade was not a virgin. Adam knew for a fact he had been when he left for college, so he must have…  
  
He couldn’t complete the thought, certain that it would bring the contents of his stomach flying up his esophagus. Instead he shut his eyes, closing the blinds on Jade’s beautiful face, twisted in rapture, until this awful romp was over with.  
  
Harder and harder Jade came down on Adam, oblivious to the fact that Adam’s hips were barely meeting his with any gusto. The most delicious moans sounded from his throat, but they only furthered Adam’s nausea. How many other people had heard this? Who else had been beneath him like this, feeling every single wonderful thing Adam felt right now?  
  
He opened his eyes a minute later to Jade pumping large spurts of his own cum onto Adam’s stomach. He grunted with each shot, eyes shut tight in elation. Adam felt horribly betrayed by his own cock, which had remained erect for the duration of this disaster, standing tall and proud for Jade to impale himself on. Adam considered it a small miracle that he never came.  
  
Spent, Jade rolled over onto his back next to Adam, whose erection was rapidly wilting. He lifted a trembling hand to touch the other man’s cum on his belly. He felt sick, light headed, and like the biggest idiot in the world. Next to him, Jade was smiling, breathing peacefully as he stared at the ceiling.  
  
---


	4. Lamb by HeartOfGlass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! While it was tempting to tie this up neatly, I was really concerned with trying to figure out what would be most realistic and natural, so... I spent a while trying to coax that out of myself. I hope you guys enjoy!! Reviews make me SOOOO happy =D

Author's Chapter Notes: Sorry this took so long! While it was tempting to tie this up neatly, I was really concerned with trying to figure out what would be most realistic and natural, so... I spent a while trying to coax that out of myself. I hope you guys enjoy!! Reviews make me SOOOO happy =D

Despite being mere inches from Jade, Adam felt as though he were a million miles away. The darkness of the room was swallowing him whole, bedspread swimming around his body like a quilt of quicksand. He prayed that he would be sucked in, and would come out the other side, in separate universe where both he and Jade were still virgins.   
  
Somewhere in the back of his cripplingly naïve mind, Adam had imaged the intimacy of sex would bring him closer to Jade, that it would strengthen their relationship in a way nothing else could. As he listened to Jade’s breaths and the anxious tapping of rain on the windows, he realized just how wrong this assumption was. Jade was now an unfamiliar monster who had just exposed his sharpest claws.  
  
“You never finished,” Jade said, rolling over to face Adam. He sounded slightly concerned, but didn’t try very hard to mask the fact that he was too spent to care.  
  
“I…I’m going to be sick.”  
  
Adam barely managed to pull his boxers on before flying out the room and out towards the bathroom, shirt in hand.  
  
The pulsing florescent lights burned his retinas, rending him nearly blind as he stumbled into the nearest stall. Dropping to his knees with a loud thud, he immediately thrust his head over the bowl. The dinner Adam had shared with Davey reappeared in a frothy brown mess, coming up in several waves. Gripping the porcelain with white knuckled hands, Adam waited to be emptied, until he found himself dry heaving with the little energy he had left.  
  
Though it had been an overall unpleasant experience, and left him gasping for air, Adam felt the vomiting had somehow cleansed him. The disgust he’d been feeling for himself had ebbed away, leaving him hollow, and utterly depressed. With his abdominal muscles at rest, he suddenly became acutely aware of the cold, hard tile on his knees, and, more importantly, the half-dried cum smeared on his stomach.  
  
Adam forced himself to stand in front of the mirror as he used a wetted paper towel to clean himself. He noted that his paper white skin and exhausted eyes gave him the appearance of a flu patient, or an insomnia sufferer. It didn’t help that he carried less muscle mass than he had all year, leading him to look like an overall sicker version of what he considered to be his _real self_. The sight made him feel ill all over again, and he mourned the fact that he nothing left to offer the toilet bowl. Before he could start retching, he grabbed his shirt off the counter and pulled it over his torso.  
  
Behind Adam, the door was slowly pushed open, the initial creak startling him considerably. Jade emerged, dressed in a clean set of clothes, but looking filthy as ever. His face was still flushed, residual sweat visible around his hairline.  
  
“Adam.” Jade said his name like he was answering some inaudible question, or identifying to a hidden camera who the other occupant of the room was. “Are you okay?”  
  
Before responding, Adam bent over one of the sinks, rinsing his mouth out with lukewarm tap water. He took his time swishing it over his sour tongue and teeth, wondering how the fuck he was supposed to answer a question like that.  
  
“Yeah, I guess.” That was the appropriate answer, right? It’s not like anyone ever actually says _no_ , even if it is the obvious truth.  
  
“Are you sure? Did you just…” Jade glanced awkwardly at the stall with the open door, which Adam had indeed occupied moments ago.  
  
“Yeah… Probably just something I ate earlier.” It was the token unconvincing excuse, to which Jade was supposed to response with persistent concern. Adam hated himself for following this script, for not simply being honest, but the fact of the matter was: this was his comfort zone.  
  
“Oh, okay.” He sounded appropriately skeptical, staring hard at Adam’s profile for a moment before adding: “That…that was okay with you, right?” Like the true teenager he was, Jade tactfully avoided saying such awful words as _sex_ , or _intercourse_. To his credit, he did sound sincerely interested in making sure Adam was alright.  
  
“Yeah, mhm. Definitely.” None of the words sounded as believable as Adam had hoped they would, probably because they were completely untrue and he wasn’t one hundred percent committed to lying anyway.  
  
“Well…. You seem a little… out of sorts?”  
  
Adam stared hard at his sullen reflection, running over all the things he wanted to say to Jade. The forerunner was: “who the fuck did you have sex with?” followed closely by: “why didn’t you tell me?” In his periphery, he saw Jade shift uncomfortably as he waited for a response.  
  
“Oh, yeah, no it’s nothing. It’s just, you know…”  
  
“That was your first time,” Jade finished softly, putting a stop to Adam’s sputtering. “I know. I figured it would be okay and all because, you know, it’s me.” After Adam didn’t say anything for a few seconds, Jade added: “I mean… this was what you wanted, right?”  
  
Adam almost laughed at the question. Answering it would’ve required a much deeper understanding of himself than he could ever imagine possessing. One might think it’s as simple as “sure, all virginal teenage boys long to have sex with the most attractive person they know,” but Adam knew better.  
  
“Sure, I mean…” Adam’s stomach lurched as he felt the affirming words leave his lips. “Yeah.”  
  
Jaded smiled immediately, finally feeling at ease enough to move closer. Adam watched in the mirror as the other boy approached him from behind, accentuating his presence with a hand placed on Adam’s hip. Adam’s skin prickled at his touch, and he couldn’t quite discern if it was due to arousal, or fear.  
  
“I’m glad. Let’s go back to my room now.” He let his fingers slide beneath the hem of Adam’s shirt, gently squeezing what little fat was there. It was meant to be affectionate, but Adam found it oddly degrading. Nonetheless, he nodded and followed Jade out the door.  
  
When they reentered the room, Jade didn’t bother to turn on the overhead lights, but rather flicked on a small desk lamp, filling the room with a dark orange glow. The moment Adam stepped in, his nostrils filled with the thick scent of sex. Though it was not something he’d ever smelled before, it was immediately obvious, as if some sort of ingrained switch in his brain had been turned on. He tried his best not to feel sick.  
  
“You want to watch a movie or something?” Jade asked, trying to break the palpable tension. “I’ve got something I think you’d like.”  
  
Adam shrugged, not bothering to ask what it was. “Sure.” He sat awkwardly on the recently messed bed, wondering why he’d let himself go back in the room. When he’d run out less than ten minutes ago, it was the absolute last place he ever wanted to be. But now, for some reason, he couldn’t conjure up any desire to leave. He watched Jade fiddle with the old TV he’d insisted on bringing to college, trying to force an unwilling tape into the VHS player.  
  
“Sorry, Ad, just a second.”  
  
“It’s cool,” Adam mumbled, still staring at Jade’s back, watching the thin material of his t-shirt pull taught across his shoulders, loosening as it reached his narrow waist. Because he was bent over, the hem fell a few inches above the waistband of his shorts, exposing a delicious stretch of freckled skin dipping gracefully around the last protruding bones of his spine. Adam regretfully felt his body growing hot all over again, palms already moist with sweat.  
  
“There we go!” When Jade proudly turned around, Adam nearly jumped out of his skin, visibly startled. “Whoa, sorry. You okay?” Jade approached the bed, and Adam did everything within his power to will away his rapidly growing hard on. He didn’t want to get into this again, at all.  
  
“Yeah I was just…” he swallowed hard, carefully collecting his thoughts. “I was just spacing out, it’s okay.”  
  
Jade raised his eyebrows and gave Adam a look that turned his stomach into knots. Adam had seen that look before; it was a look you got when you were stupid enough to try and pull the wool over Jade’s eyes. He was too clever to be lied to, mostly because he knew and utilized every trick in the book himself. Adam would’ve been better off trying to convince Mozart that he could write music. Knowing his mistake, Adam could only sit motionless, eyes on the floor, while Jade walked over.  
  
“You need to just relax, Adam,” Jade cooed, kneeling beside him on the bed. Two spindly fingers and a thumb took hold of Adam’s chin and turned his head to face Jade’s. He swallowed hard and dared himself to look up.  
  
Jade eagerly stole his gaze, magnificent green eyes bearing straight through to Adam’s brain. In that moment, he was sure Jade could hear every single one of thoughts. Feeling uncomfortably exposed, Adam quickly cast his eyes to the floor again, face burning. Jade’s fingers dropped from his face, resting on the bed right beside his thigh. At such proximity, Adam became acutely aware of the boy beside him- every erotic detail. He could feel the lust radiating from Jade almost as well as he could feel his body heat. He smelled less clean than he usually did, certainly less clean than earlier, but Adam found the vaguely sweet musk of his post-coital body strangely pleasant.  
  
“Your pupils are dilated,” Jade remarked, sounding only slightly smug. As his next statement came in a husky whisper, he was already brushing his hand over Adam’s boxers for further proof. “You’re still…” He only needed to ghost over the thin cotton to feel Adam’s erection. “You are.”  
  
The urge to flee was salient in Adam’s mind, but his limbs were rooted to the bed. Jade’s touch felt incredible, setting his every nerve on fire with pleasure. On top of that, his cock was aching to be touched again, begging for release, and Jade’s hand was _so close_. To his body, it didn’t matter that he felt emotionally ill. It didn’t matter that his Jade had been corrupted, that he’d been spoiled by other men- it felt amazing all the same.  
  
“No, it’s okay…I mean… I’m okay.” The words barely squeaked out, coming with shallow breaths, through lips that wanted nothing more than to move toward Jade’s.  
  
“Don’t worry about it.” Jade grinned as he slipped a hand into Adams boxers, rubbing his palm ardently against the hot flesh. “I owe you.” His stare never left Adam’s face, watching as he bit his lower lip in frustration, and slowly let his lids lower over his eyes as he surrendered to Jade’s touch.  
  
“You really don’t…. maybe…should you?” He mumbled the fragmented thoughts unconvincingly, words mostly obscured by involuntary moans and grunts; Jade had been quick to remove his underwear and was already fisting him. For a moment Adam wondered about how sanitary this was, given that he hadn’t washed himself or anything, but the thought was fleeting; his attention was once again brought to how truly skilled Jade was at giving hand jobs. His pace and grip were perfect, and he never forgot about the little things, like smearing precum over Adam’s head, or paying attention now and then to his ultra sensitive scrotum.  
  
Adam’s positive reaction to all this made it easy for Jade to ignore his mild verbal protests; If his body was enjoying it so much, his mind should be quick to follow anyway, right?  
  
But part of Adam was always disconcerted. Though he was too aroused to actively consider how many times (and with whom) Jade had done this in the past, the notion still sat in the back of his head and made him ill at ease. Not to mention that, despite having no interest in admitting it, he was starting to feel certain that everything that had happened tonight had gone way too fast. A week ago, he would’ve been a ball of nerves and excitement if someone told him he’d get to _kiss_ Jade. But all this? He’d hardly considered it, let alone prepared for it.  
  
Jade, on the other hand, seemed more than prepared. He worked Adam’s shaft like he’d been born to do it, anxiously awaiting the words:  
  
“I-I… I’m going to come,” Adam sputtered, gripping the edge of the mattress tightly. Showing no signs of hesitation, Jade pumped him through to the end, unflinching as thick strands of cum spilled onto his fist and forearm.  
  
“Oh _fuck_.” Adam groaned loudly as he reached the inevitable climax, entire body shuddering while he emptied himself onto Jade. As soon as the tension in his muscles eased, he lay back on the bed, wary of facing Jade after exposing such a vulnerable part of himself. He’d never had an orgasm in front of anyone before, never in his life. It was the sort of experience he always assumed would be rewardingly intimate, but he only felt ashamed, and helpless. More than anything, he yearned for comfort. Jade was not a typically sympathetic person, nor was he the type to cuddle, but maybe…  
  
“I’m going to go wash up; I’ll be back in a minute. Then we can watch the movie.”  
  
Adam’s eyes widened, though he didn’t bother to sit up. He was going to go… clean himself? That was really it? Devastated, he listened as Jade exited the room, wondering if any of that had actually happened.  
  
Sure enough, Jade came back, and they watched a movie. That was the momentous event that followed Adam’s de-virginizing experiences. After that, they talked a little, about school, and superficial things. And after that, they slept, and Davey picked him up in the morning just as planned. But Adam couldn’t recall a single thing after Jade left the room that night. Following the hand job, Jade did not so much as kiss his cheek; he went along as if what they’d done was incredibly ordinary and dismissible. In his world, nothing had changed.  
  
In Adam’s world, nothing would ever be the same.  
  
---


End file.
